William c



(No Model.)

W. 0. SMALSTIG. HARNESS TREE.

Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

AN DREW RGRAHAM PHOTOLITHQWASMINGTON, n G

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM C. SMALSTIG, OF CALIFORNIA, MISSOURI.

HARNESS-TREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,431, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed January 8, 1896. Serial No. 574,255. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1; WILLIAM C. SMALSTIG, of California, in the county of Moniteau and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Trees; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part-of this specification. 4

This invention pertains to saddle-trees, and relates more especially to the simple and improved manner of securing the yoke to the pad without the use of the usual pad-screws.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved device for securing the tug strap tothe saddle. Still a.further object is to so arrange the parts as to permit a limited amount of movement between the yoke and pad, thereby affording automatic adjustment of the saddle to the back of the horse.

WVith these objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of a harness-saddle provided with my improvement, one side thereof being shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line :0 5c of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates in perspective the several parts of my improvement.

A designates the pad, and embedded therein longitudinally is plate B. Carried by the upper end of this plate is the transversely-elongated head O, having a screw-threaded opening and formed upon its upper side with the concaved depression 0. At the lower end of the plate and upon its outer side is the projecting loop or stirrup D, and this loop, as well, as head O extends through openings in the top surface of the pad. The plate E is fitted to the top surface of the pad over the said head and is formed with the rectangular opening F, and raised from the opposite longitudinal edges of this opening are the oppositely-grooved flanges G.

H designates the tree-pad-connecting yoke, with its extremity bifurcated, as shown at H,

. E. The bifurcations H are also rounded upon their upper and lower sides, as shown at J, the lower rounded portions bearing in the concaved surface of head 0, while the shoulder L of terret K bears upon the upper rounded; surface, the terret-screw K passing downward between the forks H and through the plate E and engaging in the screw-threaded opening of head 0. Thus the parts are secured firmly together and at the same time, owing to the rounded portion J, the yoke and pad are afforded slight adjustment with relation to each other, thus permitting the saddle-pad to adjust itself automatically to the back of the horse. The extreme portions of the bifurcations H depend in the enlarged cavity E of the plate, in which ample room is afforded for the slight movement required for the above adjustment.

From the lower end of plate E projects the inwardly and downwardly extending tongue M, upon which the tug-strap N is secured, said tongue passing through an opening in the tug, and this tongue engages the loop or stirrup D, and thus the same is held firmly in its place.

I do not desire to limit myself to a singletongue and stirrup, as more than one of each of the devices named may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be apparent also that the invention may be varied and departed from in other minor particulars without avoiding the claims herein made.

. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a harness-tree, the combination of a pad, a head secured therein having a concave top surface, the terret adapted to be secured to the head and provided with the shoulder, and the yoke having its extremity formed with the transversely-enlarged end and rounded portion which is clamped between the concaved surface of the head and the terret-shoulder, whereby the yoke is afforded slight lateral turning with relation to the pad, for the purpose substantially as shown and described.

2. In a harnesstree, the combination of a pad, a head secured thereto, a plate adapted to rest upon the outer surface of the pad and formed with an opening, the grooved shoulders upon opposite sides of the opening, the yoke having the trunnions upon opposite sides of its extremity which bear in the grooves of the flanges, and the terret adapted to extend through the yoke to the said head to which it is secured, thus clamping the several parts together, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a harness-tree, the combination of a pad, a head embedded therein having its upper surface concaved, the plate upon the outer surface of the pad and formed with an opening, the grooved flanges upon opposite sides of the opening, the yoke having its extremity bifurcated and also rounded in transverse extent, the said rounded portions bearing in the concaved surface of the head, the trunnions projected from the outer sides of the bifurcations and into the grooves of the flanges, and the terret adapted to extend between the bifurcations of the yoke and into the said head with the flange of the terret bearing upon the outer side of the said rounded portion of the yoke-bifurcation, substantially as shown and described.

4. I11 a harness-tree, the combination of the pad, the plate embedded therein, the loop or stirrup carried by the lower end of the plate, the screw-threaded head carried by the upper end of the plate, the plate E, the tongue at its lower end adapted to engage the loop or stirrup and hold the tug-strap in place, the pad-connecting yoke H adapted to be held from longitudinal movement by the plate E, and the terret for clamping the yoke and plate E to the said head, substantially as shown and described.

5,. The combination of the pad, plate 13 adjacent the bottom thereof, raised head 0 on the upper side of plate B and near its upper end, loop D extended upward from adjacent the lower end of plate B, top plate E, the yoke adapted to rest on head 0 and inclosed by plate E, the terret adapted to hold the yoke in plate E and in position on the head 0, tugstrap N and the downwardly and inwardly depending tongue M at the lower end of plate E adapted to project through strap N and enter loop D, thereby securing said strap in place, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\Vitnesses:

EUGENE KRAEMER, HENRY KUHN. 

